The Beginnings
by Gina-chan
Summary: Well, I guess you could call this the prequel to Jet Force Gemini; it tells the story of how Vela and Juno's parents died. Please R&R!


**The Beginnings**

** **

**~By Gina-chan~**

** **

**Earth. The third planet of its solar system. It also happened to be the home planet of the Jet Force Gemini squadron. Juno had always looked up to the members of this peace-keeping squadron, for his home, when he wasn't traveling around with his parents, that is, was just minutes from the base of the Jet Force Gemini squadron. There were many other squadrons in the galaxy, of course, but the Gemini squadron was one of the few strong ones that still traveled in the name of peace. Juno had not ventured into the systems controlled by anyone but the Gemini squadron. His parents believed in only trading in peaceful territory since, lately, in the not-so-peaceful territories there had been attacks on civilian ships by space pirates. The Federation refused to do anything about them, though. Just let them do what they want for a bit, they had said, they'll get bored if no one does anything about it.**

** **

**Juno sighed and flicked off the viewscreen. His parents, Sonja and Bryan, were making a quick trade run to a colony on Mars, leaving him and his twin sister, Vela, alone in their home. He sighed again and rose from his seat. If he knew Vela, she was probably outside blasting birds with her stun pistol. He moved towards the back door and swung it open. Sure enough, there was Vela, aiming her red and silver stun pistol at the sky.**

**"Vela!" Juno said, startling Vela and making her drop the pistol.**

**"What?" she replied, picking the pistol off the ground.**

**"You know mom and dad don't like you using that thing to shoot birds. Why don't you just use the targets mom bought you?" Juno suggested.**

**"Well mom and dad aren't here, now are they? Besides, the targets mom got me are so big, even a Tribal could hit one," Vela smirked, tossing her chin length, blue hair. Juno opened his mouth, to say something, but then shut it. If he tried to tell her not to make fun of Tribals, she just would have laughed and say something along the lines of'short, walking teddy **

**bears'. Juno shook his head and walked back inside. The transmitter on the table blipped and flickered red, signaling that someone wanted to talk. Juno walked over to the transmitter and flicked it on. His father's face appeared in front of him.**

**"Juno? It's dad. How're you and your sister doing?" Bryan asked.**

**"Just fine. Is your trading with the colonists going alright?" Juno replied. Bryan shrugged. **

**"They were tough bargainers. I just called to tell you that your mother and I are on our **

**way back and that we should be back late tonight," said Bryan. Juno nodded.**

**"Okay. I'll tell Vela," Juno said.**

**"Love ya!" Bryan said as he ended the transmission and his image flickered off the screen. Juno flicked off the transmitter and walked back outside.**

**"Vela!" Juno yelled. **

**"What?!" Vela yelled back, lowering her pistol and turning towards Juno.**

**"I just talked to dad and he said that he and mom would be back late tonight," said Juno. **

**"Hn...," Vela muttered, tilting her head. "How late?" Vela wondered. Juno snapped his head up.**

**"Oh, come on Vela. Not tonight! We have school tomorrow! What if we get caught?" Juno protested.**

**"Ha. We didn't get caught last time, remember?" Vela smirked, setting her pistol on the ground.**

** **

**20 minutes later...**

** **

**Juno and Vela lay on their stomachs, peering through a hole in a fence, watching the members of the Gemini squadron finish up their daily duties.**

**"Ha! I could do that!" Vela boasted after seeing a man shoot three targets in a row.**

**"Vela, you know they don't train women with guns," Juno whispered. Vela sighed.**

**"Well that's gonna change when I join!" hissed Vela.**

**"Shh!" Juno hissed back as a solider turned towards them.**

**"Eep! Come on! Let's get out of here!" Vela muttered, jumping up and running back the way they came.**

**"Right!" Juno exclaimed, running after her.**

**"Hey! Wait! You kids come back here!" the solider that spotted them yelled.**

**"Leave them. We have better things to do than to chase after every kid that comes around here," another solider said.**

**"Fine."**

****

** **

**Juno's covers were drawn around him loosely as he stared up at the ceiling. He sighed as he drew his covers around his bare chest tighter.**

**"It's just not fair. I'm the calm, collected one, and I don't even have a girlfriend!" Juno thought.**

**"Well it's not like Vela has a boyfriend either, unless you can count the guy she always plays computer games with. 15 years of my life and I haven't even fallen in love yet. What a tragedy," thought Juno as he closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.**

** **

**Vela woke up with a knock on her door.**

**"Vela? Are you awake?" she heard her mother ask. **

**"I am now," Vela replied, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of her bed. **

**"Okay. I'll be in the kitchen making breakfast," said Vela's mom. Vela stood up, stretched, and yawned. **

**"I guess I'll go eat breakfast then download today's school files," Vela sighed again, opening her door. **

** **

**"Your mother and I just received word of a big trade. It's on Goldwood, so the trip would take at least a month, with getting there and getting back," Bryan said in between bites of his breakfast.**

**"So? It's just another on of your stupid trading sessions. You can just leave me and Juno here," Vela said.**

**"But that's just the thing. Your father and I don't want to leave you here alone for a month," Sonja replied.**

**"If something where to happen we would be delayed even longer, so, we've decided to bring you two along with us to Goldwood," added Bryan.**

**"Hn...alright. But if we're attacked by any space pirates, I get to control the guns!" Vela chirped.**

**"If Vela's going then I have to go too, I guess," said Juno, setting his silverware on his clean plate.**

**"Okay, great!" Sonja said happily, collecting up everyone's dishes. "We're leaving this afternoon!"**

** **

**Vela and Juno grabbed their bags that were by the front door and ran out after their parents; Juno shutting the door behind him. The family climbed in the car and drove off, leaving their home behind them. Around five minutes **

**later, they pulled in to the Gemini Squadron Intersystem Spaceport. They popped open the car doors and Vela hopped out, slinging her backpack over one shoulder. A few minutes later, after they unloaded their suitcases and Bryan parked the car, they walked into the bustling spaceport.**

**The spaceport was full of many different beings from many different worlds. The spaceport, at any given time, had well over 400 ships kept there owned by various beings from around the galaxy.**

**"Okay, if I remember correctly, I left the Kaige in port 341, I believe," Bryan said.**

**"Whydon't you check the database to be sure, dad?" suggested Juno, pointing to a computer with a sign saying**

**'Ship Database' over it. Bryan nodded and sat down in front of the computer. He typed in a few things, and after a minute, got up again.**

**"Port 342," Bryan corrected, picking up his bag. The rest of the family picked up their bags and started walking through the busy spaceport.**

** **

**"The ship is almost ready to launch. Please be sure to fasten your seatbelt and remain seated," the ship's computer said. Vela sat by her father, who was sitting in the captain's chair, looking out into space.**

**"How far is it to Goldwood?" Vela asked. **

**"Um...Let's see...we're already 8.1 past Jupiter, so...from here? About another day and a half," Bryan said. "At the most," he added. Vela nodded.**

**"Thanks, Dad," said Vela, walking out of the cockpit. She walked through the ship untill she reached the sleeping quarters in the back. There were two rooms. One where Juno and Vela slept with a bunk-bed, and the other where their parents slept.**

**Vela opened the door to her and Juno's room. Juno lay sprawled out on the top bunk; typing on his laptop.**

**"Hey!" Vela exclaimed. "I wanted the top bunk!" **

**"Too bad. I got here first," said Juno, not looking up from his laptop.**

**"Whatever," Vela said, tossing her bag on the bottom bunk and sitting down. It was going to be a long ride to Goldwood, she knew…**

** **

**Juno peered out of the circular view-window by his bed. Through it, he could see the lush, green planet of Goldwood.**

**"Great. A month with little teddy bears," Vela said, peering up over Juno's bed. Juno sighed.**

**"Better not let mom catch you saying that," Juno said lazily. Suddenly a loud explosion rocked the ship. Juno fell and landed on his back on the floor.**

**"Ow…" Juno muttered.**

**"Come on! Let's go see what it was!" Vela exclaimed, running out of the sleeping quarters and into the cockpit. Juno slowly followed.**

**"What was that, dad?" Vela asked excitedly. Bryan stared intently out the cockpit window.**

**"Space pirates," he said, a tone of hate and disgust in his voice. **

**"I want to control guns!" Vela volunteered. **

**"Sonja, Vela, you two take the gun turrets, Juno, stay here with me," Bryan ordered.**

**"Right," Sonja and Vela confirmed simultaneously, running out of the cockpit. Bryan fastened a headset over his head.**

**"Sonja, Vela, do you copy?" Bryan said through the headset. **

**"Roger," Vela replied.**

**"Roger," said Sonja. The pirates fired at the Kaige and zoomed by overhead.**

**"I have you now!" Vela exclaimed, firing her lasers. The lasers lanced out from their ship and hit the pirates' ship engine. The ship stuttered, then stopped in the dead of space.**

**"Thanks guys!" Bryan said, turning the Kaige back towards Goldwood.**

**"Ha!" Vela boasted, running into the cockpit. "And I did it all by myself!" Vela said, draping herself over the back of Juno's chair.**

**"Yea, okay," Juno replied. **

**"Sit down, guys, we'll be landing pretty soon," Bryan said. Vela obeyed, sitting in a seat behind Juno. The ship rocked from the turbulence of Goldwood's atmosphere, as the ship glowed a bright golden from the heat.After a minute or so, the turbulence stopped, and the Kaige landed on the fertile planet of Goldwood. Bryan pressed a switch, and the ship hatch opened, allowing them access out of the ship. The family got up and made their way out through the hatch, outside, to where a single Tribal was waiting there to greet them. Bryan stopped in front of the Tribal.**

**"Greetings," the Tribal welcomed, bowing towards the family. "I am King Jeff, leader of the Tribals. You must be the ones who have come to trade with us. I welcome you all to Goldwood."**

**"Thank you," Bryan replied, bending down and shaking the short Tribal's hand. King Jeff nodded. **

**"Please follow me. I will show you to your quarters," King Jeff said, turning and walking across a bridge. The group followed as he lead them through what seemed to be a door in a tree. Through the 'door' they found themselves in a large open area. It was surrounded by trees, and for but a hut and a waterfall, the area was bare. They walked on through the area, and across another bridge.**

**"That is my hut," King Jeff said as they walked past the hut. They walked past the waterfall, and through another door in a tree. Through that door, though, there was a path leading to a Tribal village in the distance. The group walked down the path and to the Tribal village.**

**"Ya know, what are mom and dad trading with the Tribals, anyway?" Vela whispered to Juno. Juno shrugged. Vela shook her head as they walked into the village. Small Tribals ran around the village, playing childish games. King Jeff zigged and zagged through the children and stopped in front of two huts, side by side. **

**"Here we are. Each hut is for two people. If you need help, or have any questions, feel free to talk to anyone in this village, or myself," King Jeff said. Bryan and Sonja nodded.**

**"Thank you, King Jeff," replied Sonja.**

**"Well, I best be going. If you need me, I'll be in my hut, or in that area," King Jeff said, nodding and walking back to the path they came in on.**

**"Well guys, who's gonna help me carry the luggage?" **

** **

**Vela stared up at the ceiling, swinging back and forth in the hammock she was laying in.**

**"What an boring day…" Juno muttered, sitting in his hammock. A fire cackled warmly in the middle of the hut, keeping them warm from the cool Goldwood nights.**

**"You said it, bro," Vela replied.**

**"I can't believe mom and dad still want us to keep up with school on-line, though!" Juno exclaimed sleepily. Vela sighed.**

**"It's not like there's much else to do…"**

** **

**Vela woke up with a start, the smell of smoke filling her nostrils. She peered over to the middle of the hut, but that fire had gone out hours ago. Vela looked out the door, and to her horror, saw red and orange flames engulfing the village. **

**"Juno! JUNO!" Vela yelled, trying to shake her brother awake.**

**"Whaa…What?! Smoke?!" Juno exclaimed, jumping out of his hammock. The pair ran out of their hut and over to their parents hut, which was already starting to burn**

**"Mom?! Dad?!" Vela yelled, trying to see them through the smoke. She started to walk into her parent's hut, to try and find them.**

**"Vela! No! It's too dangerous!" Juno yelled, trying to stop his sister from walking into the burning hut. Vela made her way through the fire and smoke, her eyes stinging from the fumes.**

**"Mom…Dad…" Vela coughed, walking through the flames. Vela saw her dad laying on his hammock and ran over to him.**

**"Dad! Dad you have to wake up! The village is on fire!" Vela said, turning him over. She gasped. Her father's body was covered in blood, from bullet wounds in his head and all over his body. Vela started to weep, her tears landing on her father's chest.**

**"Dad…" she whispered, ignorant to the flames around her. She slowly got up and walked over to her mother's hammock. Sonja was covered in blood too, from the same wounds her husband had suffered.**

**"Mom! Dad! Why?!" Vela wailed. Juno ran into the hut, his mouth hanging open when he saw his parents. Juno's eyes welled up with tears.**

**"Who did this?" Juno said angrily, tightening his fists. Vela furrowed her brow.**

**"Whoever did, is gonna pay," she murmured, not moving from her mother's side.**

**"Juno? Vela?" a familiar voice shouted from outside the hut. King Jeff stood in the doorway.**

**"Leave them! There's nothing you can do for them now!" King Jeff yelled. Vela slowly nodded and got up, her tears dripping onto her mother's dead body. Juno and Vela walked out of the fiery hut, leaving their parent's bodies to burn…**

** **

**A bright Goldwood sun filled the sky as Juno surveyed the damage the fire had done to the village. There had only been damage to a few huts, but the few huts that were, were burn to the ground. King Jeff had told them that the space pirates were the ones that set fire to the village and killed Sonja and Bryan. He had also had informed them that the cargo the Kaige was carrying had also been stolen. Juno and Vela both knew that one day they would hunt down the space pirates and take revenge for their parents, but first they would need the proper training. Juno and Vela both knew where they would go. The Jet Force Gemini Squadron.**

****


End file.
